What dentists are telling patients who think they can stop flossing
98 out of 100 dental professionals agree: You should floss. As one hygienist said: “Only floss the teeth you want to keep”
There is little hard proof that flossing actually works — but dentists aren’t about to change their practices just yet.
The Associated Press reported this week that evidence showing the medical benefits of regular use of dental floss was “weak” and “very unreliable,” and that the U.S. government had dropped flossing from its official dietary guidelines. The story had people talking all around the world, and they had plenty of questions for their dentists.
In an exclusive survey conducted on Figure 1, a global platform for healthcare, 98 out of 1oo dental professionals said they would continue to recommend flossing in their practice. Half of them said they had been asked about the recent reports. We asked them what they’re telling patients. Here’s what they told us:
- “I simply state that over the 30 years I’ve been practicing, my practical and clinical experience has shown patients who floss regularly have fewer interproximal caries, fewer issues with gingivitis and periodontal diseases as well as fewer issues with bad breath.”
- “I don’t know how removing bacteria from the mouth is not beneficial. I joke with patients, ‘go ahead and try it’ with a cheeky grin.”
- “Only floss the teeth you want to keep.”
- “I have a demonstration I show that clearly shows all areas that are missed by brushing alone. Then I show my patients radiographs of interproximal decay that is a direct result of poor flossing habits. Pictures really do tell the whole story.”
- “It is basic hygiene. Media headlines do not accurately reflect what actually occurred. There is simply a lack of strong peer reviewed data, that is different than not being worthwhile. I have even referred patients to watch the John Oliver segment on his HBO show. He has a very good segment on media headlines for science articles that shows how difficult they make everyone’s lives.”
- “Absence of evidence doesn’t mean evidence of absence. Just means the studies are not strong enough and as it is very difficult to design a study that properly evaluates this without bias we can only rely on what we have plus our expert opinion. Cleaning in between teeth is important and there are many tools that achieve that and floss is one of them. The important thing is that every person learns the best way to clean between their teeth and for some people the only way is to floss.”
- “Those that have been flossing already know the benefits and will continue to floss. Those who don’t already floss are just looking for another excuse not to.”
And about those two dental professionals who didn’t recommend flossing? Both are advocates of other techniques to clean between your teeth.
“I haven’t really recommended floss for a long time,” one said. “My preference is always interdental brushes now where they will fit. Most people have terrible dexterity when it comes to normal flossing.”
We invite healthcare professionals to discuss this issue on Figure 1, a global case-sharing community. Interested in learning more about Figure 1? Email us at communications@figure1.com.
